Impressive new Woodlands Bank Club wows Pavilion crowd

Updated 9:24 am, Saturday, August 12, 2017

The new Woodforest Bank Club is now open for the remaining season to enhance The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion experience in The Woodlands.

The new Woodforest Bank Club is now open for the remaining season to enhance The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion experience in The Woodlands.

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On Tuesday, August 8, leaders from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion officially opened the beautiful new Woodforest Bank Club, a nearly 15,000 square foot facility reserved for The Pavilion's season ticket and box seat holders during the concert and performing arts season. less

On Tuesday, August 8, leaders from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion officially opened the beautiful new Woodforest Bank Club, a nearly 15,000 square foot facility reserved for The Pavilion's season ticket ... more

Photo: Meagan Ellsworth

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On Tuesday, August 8, leaders from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion officially opened the beautiful new Woodforest Bank Club, a nearly 15,000 square foot facility reserved for The Pavilions season ticket and box seat holders during the concert and performing arts season.

On Tuesday, August 8, leaders from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion officially opened the beautiful new Woodforest Bank Club, a nearly 15,000 square foot facility reserved for The Pavilions season ticket ... more

Photo: Meagan Ellsworth

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Impressive new Woodlands Bank Club wows Pavilion crowd

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The new Woodforest Bank Club opened to rave reviews last week at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands.

Guests drank and laughed Tuesday evening as they relaxed on the new facility's outdoor upstairs patio with a 260-degree view of the North Plaza, the Pavilion's peaks and hill, and an Elton John performance playing on media screens surrounding them.

The Pavilion's leaders and the guests celebrated the opening of the 15,000-square-foot facility, which is reserved for The Pavilion's season ticket and box seat holders during the concert and performing arts season.

The $2 million major construction project was unanimously approved by the Pavilion Board of Directors last year and transformed a one-story operations building, a modular trailer from 1990, into a two-story facility boasting expansive seating, three new bars, a catering kitchen and expanded restrooms.

"We have been a season-ticket holder since 1996," said 88-year-old Margaret Sharp. "Always before the performances, especially for the concert series, we would come for dinner. We are absolutely thrilled to see this new facility. We are tremendously impressed."

Pavilion President and CEO Jerry MacDonald said the development represents a pivotal moment in the Pavilion's history as it was one of six projects completed during phase two construction, which he described as a comprehensive venture valued at $11 million. He said the original facility was built to serve 400 people; however, about 700 people were being served.

"We are truly excited to have the opportunity to offer this beautiful amenity to our season-ticket and box holders," he said. "… The fact that we are debt-free after the building of this beautiful facility is an incredible feat of which we are very proud."

Honored to be a partner in the project, President and Chief Executive Officer of Woodforest National Bank Cathy Nash praised the transformation as she admired from within.

"It's bigger," Nash said. "It's beautiful and the experience is at a whole other level."

Several guests stopped to appreciate the timeline wrapped around the stairwell that starts with George and Cynthia Mitchell as it tells the Pavilion's story, artist memorabilia, and photos, contributed by the Pavilion's resident photographer Ted Washington, of music legends like Willie Nelson and Aerosmith who've performed on the Pavilion stage.

"We've been in The Woodlands since 1982 and are enjoying the history," Luanne Bozeman, 58, said. "It's a tribute to George and Cynthia's legacy."

"This part of the Pavilion is special," her husband Steve Bozeman said. "The vibe is going to be perfect for what they are trying to do here."

Visitors were greeted at the entrance of Woodforest Bank Club by the aroma of food being prepared, complimentary menu sampling and the orchestral sounds strummed by violinists Katie Osani and Alex O' Steen and celloist Amy Sanders.

The trio was formed several years ago during one of the Pavilion's educational outreach programs, Chamberfest. All proceeds from the cash bar benefited the Pavilion's fine arts scholarship program.

"This facility is kind of like a dream that has been in the works for a long time," Board Chairman Carol Garner said. "This is a fulfillment of a lot of people who served on the board and helped manage the funds to get to the point where we could do this. Everybody has worked diligently and wisely over the years to make sure we had the ability to do this."

This winter in the offseason, Garner said phase 3 will begin and includes updates to the concessions and restrooms.

The Woodforest Bank Club is a year-round facility. While the club is not available for rental during Pavilion performances, it is available for group meetings or private functions every other day of the year, according to information from the Pavilion. The Woodforest Bank Club will be available for private functions based on availability.

For more information about the benefits of being a season-ticket or box seat holder, including access to the club, on-site parking and dedicated customer service, contact JD Villasenor at 281-210-1121.

For more information about the Pavilion, which opened in 1990 as part of the Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands, a nonprofit organization, visit www.woodlandscenter.org.